Strict customs hinder trade between Waziristan and Afghanistan
The reopening of a major trade route connecting western Pakistan’s region of North Waziristan with s…The reopening of a major trade route connecting western Pakistan’s region of North Waziristan with southeastern Afghanistan, was to be a major step toward stabilizing the restive border region, This border region is still reeling from years of terrorist attacks and the military’s counterinsurgency sweeps.
But four months later, traders say the Ghulam Khan border crossing has failed to deliver the prosperity that was promised because of too intense customs restrictions. These block free trade between North Waziristan and the neighboring Afghan province of Khost.
Qamar Zaman is one of scores of traders in North Waziristan’s administrative capital, Miran Shah, dependent on importing produce from Afghanistan: “This amounts to economic murder. We have no option but to protest this move. Trade through this border crossing is our economic lifeline.”
Another trader, Abdullah Khan, says customs officials at Ghulam Khan have stopped them from importing tomatoes and grapes from Afghanistan: “When the border first reopened our business flourished, but now it is dead.”
North Waziristan traders say customs authorities are only allowing Pakistani traders to export cement, food, and electronics while preventing them from importing Afghan produce. Many are still not sure what rules they are supposed to follow.
According to an article on gandhara.rferl.org, traders in Waziristan incurred huge losses when the Ghulam Khan crossing was closed for nearly four years after the Pakistani military launched a large-scale military operation in June 2014. More than 1 million residents were displaced by the offensive, which the military says rid the region of militants.